Fluoride
Wayne, City of
Fluoride occurs naturally in surface and groundwater and is also added to drinking water by many water systems. Read More.
Fluoride has been promoted as a chemical that reduces dental cavities. Yet it is now well-established that fluoride primarily exerts its protective effects through topical mechanisms, such as sodium fluoride in toothpaste and mouthwash. In contrast, long-term ingestion of fluoride in water increases dental fluorosis, which includes mottling, pitting and weakening of the teeth. EPA's maximum legal limit is set at 4 parts per million (ppm) to prevent skeletal fluorosis, a condition where bones become brittle and more susceptible to fractures, although these effects may occur at lower doses.
Even fluoride levels of 0.7 ppm, the amount of fluoride in drinking water recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service, can result in too much fluoride for bottle-fed babies. EWG recommends that caregivers mix baby formula with fluoride-free water. The National Toxicology Program is investigating the potential for low doses of fluoride to alter thyroid function and childhood brain development.
Testing results - average by year
Year | Average result | Samples taken | Detections | Range of results |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | 0.865 ppm | 15 | 15 | 0.248 ppm - 1.23 ppm |
2015 | 0.923 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.221 ppm - 1.09 ppm |
2016 | 0.806 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.358 ppm - 0.972 ppm |
2017 | 0.893 ppm | 12 | 12 | 0.797 ppm - 0.994 ppm |
2018 | 0.765 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.240 ppm - 0.878 ppm |
2019 | 0.835 ppm | 13 | 13 | 0.367 ppm - 1.05 ppm |
ppm = parts per million
State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines
EPA Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) 4 ppm
ppm = parts per million
All test results
Date | Lab ID | Result |
---|---|---|
2014-01-07 | 279513 | 0.895 ppm |
2014-02-04 | 284843 | 0.939 ppm |
2014-02-24 | 281461 | 0.255 ppm |
2014-02-24 | 281462 | 0.248 ppm |
2014-02-24 | 281463 | 1.06 ppm |
2014-03-03 | 288851 | 0.895 ppm |
2014-04-09 | 292110 | 0.896 ppm |
2014-05-19 | 297913 | 0.882 ppm |
2014-06-04 | 304198 | 1.23 ppm |
2014-07-15 | 310323 | 1.15 ppm |
2014-08-06 | 315707 | 1.000 ppm |
2014-09-17 | 321566 | 0.771 ppm |
2014-10-07 | 326359 | 0.866 ppm |
2014-11-19 | 333756 | 1.01 ppm |
2014-12-03 | 337412 | 0.874 ppm |
2015-01-06 | 341314 | 0.856 ppm |
2015-02-10 | 346908 | 1.04 ppm |
2015-03-02 | 349862 | 0.991 ppm |
2015-04-08 | 354806 | 0.995 ppm |
2015-05-06 | 362373 | 1.04 ppm |
2015-06-03 | 366851 | 0.957 ppm |
2015-07-08 | 370899 | 0.941 ppm |
2015-08-19 | 379163 | 1.09 ppm |
2015-09-15 | 384614 | 1.03 ppm |
2015-10-07 | 389498 | 1.09 ppm |
2015-10-19 | 390948 | 0.221 ppm |
2015-11-16 | 396448 | 0.899 ppm |
2015-12-15 | 400522 | 0.845 ppm |
2016-01-04 | 0.358 ppm | |
2016-01-05 | 0.849 ppm | |
2016-02-01 | 0.777 ppm | |
2016-03-08 | 0.762 ppm | |
2016-04-11 | 0.923 ppm | |
2016-05-03 | 0.883 ppm | |
2016-06-14 | 0.855 ppm | |
2016-07-05 | 0.835 ppm | |
2016-08-08 | 0.808 ppm | |
2016-09-06 | 0.809 ppm | |
2016-10-03 | 0.727 ppm | |
2016-11-08 | 0.972 ppm | |
2016-12-07 | 0.920 ppm | |
2017-01-04 | 0.914 ppm | |
2017-02-07 | 0.945 ppm | |
2017-03-06 | 0.898 ppm | |
2017-04-03 | 0.938 ppm | |
2017-05-03 | 0.922 ppm | |
2017-06-07 | 0.898 ppm | |
2017-07-11 | 0.977 ppm | |
2017-08-07 | 0.994 ppm | |
2017-09-11 | 0.803 ppm | |
2017-10-02 | 0.814 ppm | |
2017-11-14 | 0.797 ppm | |
2017-12-06 | 0.820 ppm | |
2018-01-08 | 529431 | 0.835 ppm |
2018-02-05 | 534996 | 0.814 ppm |
2018-03-07 | 538604 | 0.869 ppm |
2018-04-03 | 541647 | 0.868 ppm |
2018-05-09 | 547885 | 0.878 ppm |
2018-06-05 | 553280 | 0.788 ppm |
2018-07-09 | 557796 | 0.603 ppm |
2018-08-08 | 565543 | 0.808 ppm |
2018-09-05 | 569891 | 0.846 ppm |
2018-10-02 | 575719 | 0.800 ppm |
2018-10-22 | 578004 | 0.240 ppm |
2018-11-13 | 581254 | 0.785 ppm |
2018-12-10 | 585224 | 0.812 ppm |
2019-01-08 | 588518 | 0.865 ppm |
2019-01-14 | 592285 | 0.367 ppm |
2019-02-13 | 593932 | 0.807 ppm |
2019-03-05 | 597456 | 0.788 ppm |
2019-04-08 | 601146 | 0.586 ppm |
2019-05-08 | 608744 | 1.000 ppm |
2019-06-03 | 612797 | 1.000 ppm |
2019-07-09 | 618106 | 0.952 ppm |
2019-08-07 | 626426 | 1.05 ppm |
2019-09-11 | 630786 | 0.953 ppm |
2019-10-08 | 635964 | 0.720 ppm |
2019-11-06 | 642748 | 0.902 ppm |
2019-12-04 | 648221 | 0.866 ppm |